Girl Paralyzed and Blinded by Flu Vaccine

(HOUSTON) A family in Texas believes their daughter had a rare reaction to a flu shot, causing her to be paralyzed and lose her vision.

The parents of 9-year-old Brianna Browning say their daughter hasn’t been able to move much of her body in almost two weeks.

The fourth-grader has been in the hospital since October 17, according to KTRK-TV. Her parents said Brianna got the flu vaccine two days prior and then noticed her health began to deteriorate.

Eight hours later, the girl began profusely vomiting, which continued into Friday. On Saturday, the girl was reportedly paralyzed from the waist down, blind and seemed to have what appeared to be a seizure, according to the report.

The girl’s parents said doctors don’t yet know what happened or why, but the parents believe it was caused by the flu vaccine.

Dr. Umair Shah, the executive director of Harris County Public Health and Environmental Services, has not treated Brianna, but says flu shots are extremely safe and encourages those over 6 months to get the vaccine. Reactions can occur, but they are mostly mild. There have been cases of more severe reactions, but those are rare.